ONTARIO — Moment Development Founder and Principal Ohm Patel doesn’t let city zoning limit his ideas or business proposals.
“The city has a plan for how they want to see their city grow, and while zoning is a direction, there’s always opportunities,” he said. “We feel like, with zoning, it’s about making a case to a municipality that really progresses the community in the right direction.
“Their zoning is meant to do that, but sometimes by the way it’s set up, it can support you or it can actually get in the way.”
Chris Knapton, director of development administration for Moment Development, presented a revised planned unit development proposal to the Ontario Planning Commission Tuesday with his colleague Kyle Wrentmore.
The planning commission agreed to pass the PUD along to City Council for review and approval, with the first reading scheduled for Nov. 16. There will be a public hearing, which the public is invited to attend, at that City Council meeting.
“We’re excited to move forward to see what City Council’s feedback is on the overall development,” Knapton said.
The six parcels Moment Development bought for $850,000 are currently zoned as business development. If City Council approves the request to rezone to PUD, Moment Development will be able to build residences next to the proposed office space.
Ontario City Council will discuss the PUD at least three times before approving it. If council members do not call any special meetings, the third reading will be scheduled for Jan. 4 at the earliest.
Knapton said he would love for the preliminary development plan to stay as is, but he is willing to be flexible based on which proposed developments have the most interest.
“I’d love to be realistic too,” he said. “I think, as we get further down the road, we’ll start marketing it and seeing what’s out there and make sure it makes sense with what the city wants to do there.”
In about six acres, Moment Development plans to build a hotel, restaurants, office space and residential dwellings.
The presentation text from the Ontario Planning Commission’s special meeting Nov. 1.
At the previous planning commission meeting Oct. 12, City Council members said they were concerned about residential development being too close to shopping centers.
“It will have its own separate landscaping and it will kind of be separated in regards to streets and accesses,” Knapton said. “But at the same point, we also want it to feel like it’s one development and not multiple separate developments thrown into one parcel.”
Patel said Knapton is leading development on the Ontario project. In all of Moment Development’s projects, Patel said his staff want to ensure walkability and “synergy” between properties.
“What really attracted us to that specific site was the fact that we could really synergize with the existing retail that’s there, and give a potential hotel client the options,” he said. “When you’re staying somewhere, the option of having shopping and restaurants kind of at your doorstep rather than having to drive somewhere far away.”
Knapton said the residential development is still “very conceptual” compared to the hotel. Moment Development has discussed development plans with Home2 Suites by Hilton Hotel and plans to break ground next summer.
Knapton said community member feedback is important to Moment Development. Ontario residents are welcome to attend the public hearing Nov. 16 at 555 Stumbo Road. City Council will announce the time of the public hearing at its meeting Nov. 2.
Knapton said he and Patel are interested in scheduling coffee talks in Ontario for residents to offer feedback then as well.
Also in Tuesday’s special meeting, planning commission members approved Moment Development’s request to begin laying down asphalt on the 2577 Walker Lake Road property before the PUD proposal is fully approved by City Council.
Zoning Inspector Michael Morton said Moment Development runs the risk of City Council denying the PUD after it has invested money in pavement, but this approval won’t cost the City of Ontario any money.
